Michigan Arbor Day Alliance

Michigan arbor day alliance

Michigan Arbor Day Alliance (MADA)

The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance is housed at the Eaton Conservation District and covers the entire state of Michigan. For more information, please visit http://www.miarbordayalliance.org/ or contact Hannah Reynolds, State Arbor Day Program Coordinator at (517) 588-6302 or miarborday@gmail.com

Who are we? The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance (MADA) is a coalition of organizations and agencies dedicated to the promotion of Arbor Day throughout Michigan. Our dedication comes from our belief in the importance of trees and their role in community health and well-being.

Mission Statement: The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance (MADA) promotes and facilitates Arbor Day through a progressive network for the stewardship of forestry and natural resources in Michigan's communities.

What Does MADA do?

Provides free educational materials to individuals, communities, schools, and organizations
Coordinates the state Arbor Day celebration in Lansing, MI
Coordinates the Fifth Grade Arbor Day Poster Contest
Seeks new partnerships to expand programming and make positive impact on local communities
Furnishes ideas and suggestions about hosting Arbor Day events
Contacts State legislators encouraging their participation in Arbor Day events in their district
Creates and maintains statewide Arbor Day events directory
Provides contacts to agencies/organizations that can offer Arbor Day Assistance
Promotes Arbor Day and the importance of trees at seminars, workshops, tradeshows, & conferences
Manages the Michigan Arbor Day Alliance Tree Planting Grant program
- We award monies to municipalities, non-profits, schools, churches, libraries, neighborhood associations, and local units of government to plant trees. This program is strictly funded by donations and our sponsors.
Helps partners plan and facilitate tree plantings throughout the state of Michigan

Benefits of trees

You may ask yourself what a tree can do for you, and the answer is simple: LOTS.
Trees can add value to your home, help cool your home and neighborhood, break the cold winds to lower your heating costs, and provide food for wildlife.
The following are some statistics on just how important trees are in a community setting:

The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. U.S. Department of Agriculture
If you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3% less. In 15 years the savings will be nearly 12%. Dr. E. Greg McPherson, Center for Urban Forest Research.
A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000. Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers
Having large trees in yards along streets increases a home’s value from 3 percent to 15 percent. Wolf, Kathleen L, PhD, University of Washington (2007) City Trees and Property Values. Arborist News. 16, 4:34-36.
In Portland, Oregon, street trees increase the value of homes by a total of $1.1 billion, an average increase of $7,020 for each house. Donovan, G.H.; Butry, D.T. (2010). Trees in the City: Valuing Street Trees in Portland, Oregon. Landscape and Urban Planning 94:77-83.
Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent. Management Information Services/ICMA
One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people. U.S. Department of Agriculture
There are about 60– to 200-million spaces along our city streets where trees could be planted. This translates to the potential to absorb 33 million more tons of CO2 every year, and saving $4 billion in energy costs. National Wildlife Federation
Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20–50 percent in energy used for heating. USDA Forest Service
Trees can be a stimulus to economic development, attracting new business and tourism. Commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer, and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent. The Arbor Day Foundation
Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property’s value. USDA Forest Service
The planting of trees means improved water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion. This allows more recharging of the ground water supply. Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment and chemicals into streams. USDA Forest Service
In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension. Dr. Roger S. Ulrich Texas A&M University
Nationally, the 60 million street trees have an average value of $525 per tree. Management Information Services
To help locate New York City’s heritage trees, the City Department of Parks and Recreation conducted a program called the “Great Tree Search.” New Yorkers looked for trees of unusual size and age, those linked with historic landmarks, and trees of unusual species or location. On Arbor Day, they held a big party to celebrate New York City’s Great Trees.
After a tornado destroyed more than 800 trees in Cardington, Ohio, citizens organized a tree restoration committee which solicited donations and memorials. Volunteers who learned of the tree planting through local newspaper articles appeared on Arbor Day to wrap trunks, water, mulch, and stake 40 large trees which were planted along major streets.

SOURCE

sponsorship opportunities

MADA has organized the State Arbor Day Celebration since 1995, inviting 1,000 students annually from Mid-Michigan, typically Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Ionia, Shiawassee, and Jackson counties, to Lansing in order to learn about trees and other natural resources. The MADA State Committee Board is made up of representatives from Eaton Conservation District, DNR Urban Forestry, Arboriculture Society of Michigan, City of Lansing Forestry Division, Consumers Energy, and MSU Federal Credit Union. The Committee meets once a month for several months leading up to the State Arbor Day Celebration.

MADA has also developed several programs to educate and engage our communities throughout the year. We serve as a resource for information, provide educational materials, and tree planting guidance for residents across Michigan.

One of these programs is the Tree Planting Grant program, which is solely funded by our sponsors. Local units of government, municipalities, neighborhood associations, libraries, churches, schools, tribal organizations and non-profits are eligible to apply. This year alone we will be helping six communities plant trees thanks to our sponsors.

The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance relies heavily on sponsorship's, grants and partnerships to be able to hold the annual State Arbor Day Celebration at Potter Park Zoo and to run our statewide Tree Planting Grant Program. In 2020, we will be holding a special Arbor Fest event for the general public to commemorate our 25th year of holding the State Arbor Day Celebration at Potter Park Zoo. We ask that you please consider sponsoring one or more of our programs. Let us help you get the word out about your sponsorship of our program(s) and how it has made a positive difference in the lives of Michigan residents.

To view our sponsorship opportunities, please click here and fill out the last page and submit with payment by mail. To be identified as a 2020 sponsor, payment is required by February 7, 2020.

MADA is a program of Eaton Conservation District, a tax-exempt Government Entity 107(c)(1). All donations are tax deductible and will be acknowledged with a receipt for your records. Please make checks payable to Eaton Conservation District.

Please mail last page of sponsorship form and check to:
Eaton Conservation District
551 Courthouse Drive, Suite 3.
Charlotte, MI 48813.

YEAR IN REVIEW

The 2019 State Arbor Day Celebration was held on Friday, April 26, 2019 at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, MI. The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance, in cooperation with Eaton Conservation District and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources-Forest Resources Division, welcomed approximately 1,000 2nd and 3rd graders from Mid-Michigan to the all day outdoor event. At the event, students, teachers and their chaperones rotated through activity stations where presenters talked about sustainable wood products, tree identification, forest pests and more. The other half of the day the students spent in the zoo, learning about wildlife. In between, during the noontime celebration, students were entertained by singer/songwriter Joe Reilly who performed songs such as "Outside" and "Decompose." The kids danced and sang along to his fun songs that had an environmental message. After the noontime ceremony, the students watched a Bur oak be planted. All around it was a fun outdoor event filled with lots of learning. The students often leave Arbor Day talking about ways they can help better the environment and have a deeper appreciation for trees and nature. This annual event/field trip is offered to 2nd and 3rd graders in the state of Michigan at no cost. It is because of our generous donors and sponsors that we are able to provide this opportunity for the students, teachers and their chaperones to get outside and learn about our environment. The sponsors, volunteers and presenters, along with the planning committee, make this event a great success each year.

Along with planning the Arbor Day Celebration at Potter Park Zoo, the MADA coordinator has been busy coordinating the statewide 5th Grade Poster Contest, the Tree Planting Grant Program, and planning tree plantings for our partners.

For program updates, information on MADA's partnerships, and helpful tree planting information, please visit https://www.miarbordayalliance.org/home.html

Photos: 2019 State Arbor Day Celebration, MSU Federal Credit Union tree planting and Arbor Brewing Company tree planting

Eaton Conservation District

551 Courthouse Drive, Ste 3
Charlotte, MI 48813
(517) 543-1512 x 5

ECD Mission

The mission of the Eaton Conservation District is to promote and encourage cooperation with other individuals, groups, organizations, or agencies in an organized effort to conserve and improve the natural resources in Eaton County.